1. Incident Overview
- Flight: Air India Flight 171 (Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner)
- Route: Ahmedabad (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport) → London Gatwick
- Crash Time: ~40 seconds after takeoff (13:39 local time, 08:09 GMT)
- Location: Densely populated neighborhood near BJ Medical College, Ahmedabad
- Casualties:
- Onboard: 241 fatalities (of 242; 1 survivor: Vishwash kumar Ramesh, 40-year-old British man(After leaving hospital, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh attended the funeral of his brother))
- Ground: ≥8 fatalities (medical students/doctors in hostel)
- Wreckage: Engines, black boxes recovered; wreckage scattered near crash site.
Complete video Picture and Inside view Before Crash
Complete crew of the Indian Plane crash 12 Crew member
Bystander Captures Final Moments
2. Investigation Details
Key Agencies:
- Lead: India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB)
- Support: Boeing, GE (engine-maker), NTSB (US), UK investigators, Air India, DGCA (India’s regulator).
Critical Evidence:
Black Boxes:
- Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR): Captures pilot communications, ambient sounds.
- Flight Data Recorder (FDR): Tracks engine performance, flap/slat positions, thrust settings, fuel flow.
- Engines: Turbine damage analysis to determine power status at impact.
- Flaps/Slats: Configuration checks for lift-related failure.
- Flight Management System: Automated controls under scrutiny.
Hypotheses:
- Dual engine failure (bird strike, fuel contamination).
- Flap/slat misconfiguration.
- Maintenance error (engine servicing).
- Crew action (e.g., fuel cutoff).
- Systemic Boeing 787 issue (1,100+ aircraft globally).
Timeline:
- Preliminary Report: Due within 30 days (ICAO rules).
- Final Report: Target: 12 months.
3. Aircraft & Operational Data
- Boeing 787-8:
- Age: 11 years.
- Recent Flights: 25 Ahmedabad-London trips (past 2 years, per Flightradar24).
- Fuel Load: ~100 tonnes at takeoff.
- Crew: Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, Co-pilot Clive Kundar.
4. Regulatory & Industry Response
- Air India:
- 24 of 33 Boeing 787s inspected post-crash; “no major safety concerns” (India’s Civil Aviation Ministry).
- DGCA: Ordered additional checks on 787-8/9 fleet (“preventive measure”).
- Boeing: Deferred to AAIB (statement by CEO Kelly Ortberg, 12 June).
5. Human Impact & Aftermath
- Victim Identification: DNA matching ongoing (30+ identified as of latest update).
- Vigils: Held in India/UK (e.g., outside Indian High Commission, London).
- Statements:
- PM Narendra Modi: Visited crash site/hospital; pledged support.
- Air India CEO Campbell Wilson: Called site visit “deeply moving.”
6. Quotes from Experts
- Peter Goelz (Ex-NTSB):
- Engine turbine damage indicates power status at impact.
- “If [failure] points to a system problem, regulatory bodies must act quickly.”
- Captain Kishore Chinta (Ex-AAIB):
- “Rarest of rare” crash (controlled flight into terrain post-takeoff).
Air India will reduce international widebody operations by 15% through mid-July as investigators race to determine why Flight AI171 plunged into an Ahmedabad neighborhood just 40 seconds after takeoff, killing 241 passengers and crew plus at least 8 on the ground.